Archives

Malcolm Sheppard on Twitter

  • Katrina's birthday. Fun get together. Drank Brazilian drinks. Watched It's All Gone Pete Tong. Best night out in ages. 14 hrs ago
  • I increasingly think the more something can be captured by a high concept pitch, the less it's worth doing. 22 hrs ago
  • Ugh. Digging myself out of lots of stuff that's been neglected while I've been sick. 2 days ago
  • Sprained my toe! 2 days ago
  • Bowie goes down. Blood. Monkeys eat each other. 3 days ago
  • More updates...

Posting tweet...

The RPG EBook of the Future

To follow up on the Next Gen RPGs post I’d like to toss up a sample interface:
This is probably a Flash application. You can resize, minimize or dismiss each pane in the interface above. The book screen is actually the second screen you’d get after opening up the game, after going to your library from [...]

December 4th, 2009 | Tags: , , , | Category: Electronic Games, Game Design, RPG Theory, Social Media | 2 comments

Next Gen RPGs

Between the CCP/White Wolf announcement and the obvious rise of e-publishing as a vital component in the industry it’s time to ask: What should electronically delivered tabletop RPGs look like?
The Current Formula
Electronic implementation is currently a user-organized exploit of current cheap technologies. You could express it this way:
Hardware + PDF + Native Applications + Web [...]

December 2nd, 2009 | Tags: , , , | Category: Electronic Games, Online Games, Social Media | 17 comments

White Wolf: Now It’s Semi-Official

Today’s been an interesting one for White Wolf, CCP’s tabletop imprint. At ICC it announced that it was “freeing” (and dismantling much of) the Camarilla, developing new community and game management tools, and kinda sorta maybe not printing game books as we know them any more. Ryan Dancey was quite a bit firmer in a [...]

November 7th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Electronic Games, Game Design, RPG Theory, Social Media, Uncategorized | 13 comments

Poooooooodcasting! On Darker Days

I did an enormous podcast interview — almost three hours — with the folks at the Darker Days podcast. Check it out! I think the important bit is where I answer why I like RPGs, but there’s lots of bits and bobs about the Mages and many other things. Kudos to both interviewers, who did [...]

September 30th, 2009 | Tags: , , , | Category: Game Design, RPG Theory, Social Media, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Big Tent RPG Model: It’s About Communities

James Mishler thinks he knows where tabletop RPGs are going. So do a whole bunch of people. Nobody’s shy about holding forth on the One Truth.  Or another One Truth. Whatever; there can only be one. The tabletop hobby will definitely collapse, or it will live forever. Everyone will definitely play MMORPGs instead, or switch [...]

July 17th, 2009 | Tags: , | Category: Online Games, RPG Theory, Social Media, Uncategorized | 6 comments

Neurotypical RPGs and Virtually Autistic Communities

Aspergers and other high-functioning points on the autistic spectrum are associated with nerdy pursuits, but that’s not the point of this post. That’s usually slung around as pop psychology (which this post can be accused of – that’s pretty much what it is) and insults. I want to say this: Online communities can be level [...]

July 12th, 2009 | Tags: , , | Category: Electronic Games, Game Design, Online Games, Social Media, Uncategorized | 4 comments

Developing the Venice Chronicles

With the Venice Chronicles Beta out, I thought I’d talk a bit about how it got put together. I’m oing to start with a chat about the online medium.
Those of who’ve been following my thoughts on RPGs know that I think that online roleplaying represent an important “parallel” hobby. People are taking roleplaying and running [...]

June 27th, 2007 | Tags: , , | Category: Game Design, Online Games, Social Media, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mob United Media Introduces the Venice Chronicles

Digital Service Combines Roleplaying and Next-Generation Social Networks, Begins Open Beta
Mob United Media has completed the first stage of content creation and development for Inter-Canel’s Venice Chronicles: the first application to integrate roleplaying and social networking.
Our story is set in a continuous Masquerade, incorporating inspiration from the classic La Serenissima period, when Venice [...]

June 17th, 2007 | Tags: , , | Category: Game Design, Online Games, Social Media, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Cutting Edge

This is the cutting edge of DIY roleplaying, whether you would personally enjoy it or not.
So what are you going to do?
Selected quotes:
“Sorry, we do not accept original characters.”
“A BLEACH/NARUTO/YUYUHAKUSHO Role-play community based on the movie Fight Club.
Accepting members now.”
“Yeah, I said it. Ninja Car chases.”

March 12th, 2007 | Tags: , | Category: Online Games, Social Media, Uncategorized | One comment

Super Fun Angry Replies!

Well, it looks like the folks at Story Games had some issues with my last post. Since some of it is interesting and I’m vain, I’ll quote and respond to some of it. “Lord Minx:”
The idea of TRPGs being a “medium for the activity of roleplaying” isn’t especially new, IMO. Or at least my first [...]

December 3rd, 2006 | Tags: , , | Category: Game Design, RPG Theory, Social Media, Uncategorized | 5 comments